W.Va. lawmaker says many leaning against meth bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A West Virginia legislative chairman says many of his committee members are leaning against making a cold medicine used to cook meth available by prescription only.

House of Delegates Judiciary Committee Chairman Tim Manchin says a bill to make pseudoephedrine prescription only will come up Monday or Tuesday. Manchin said there's a fair amount of opposition in his committee. He said he was struggling with the bill.

The proposal excludes certain drugs deemed tamper-resistant.

Manchin said other options exist if the committee won't pass that version. One would further limit how much pseudoephedrine someone can buy annually.

Del. Don Perdue, a prescription-only advocate, thinks the House would pass the bill if Manchin's committee endorses it. The Senate approved the proposal Feb. 18. The legislative session ends March 8.